Method and apparatus for loading trucks by gravity



z- 3, 1968 E. H. VINCENT 3,396,859

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRUCKS BY GRAVITY Filed Jan. 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l lit 127770! Iii/0642K;

3, 1968 E. H. VINCENT 3,396,859

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRUCKS BY GRAVITY 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 19, 1966 United States Patent Claims. ci. 214-41 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and an arrangement for loading ores or the like by gravity in the body of a railway truck, from hoppers or the like disposed laterally with respect to the track by means of inclining at least the body downwards and towards the hopper.

The present invention has as its object a method and device for loading trucks by gravity from hoppers or the like which are situated laterally with respect to the track.

For correct loading, it is necessary for the loading nozzle to be arranged so that its extreme part projects beyond the lateral edge of the truck, and this generally prevents the passage of locomotives beneath this loading nozzle as well as that of a loaded train in front of other spouts or chutes the nozzles of which are disposed similarly and successively along the same track, except by employing a loading track beside the main running track, or by equipping all the said spouts or chutes with a removable or hinged nozzle, which represents a serious drawback for spouts or chutes of large capacity above all.

The object of the invention is to allow trucks to be loaded on the main running track without impeding the passage of the locomotive or of other loaded trucks, and without the need for displacing the spout nozzles.

The method according to the present invention resides in that, when the truck is abreast of the spout or chute, either the body of the truck, or the truck body and underframe as a whole, is caused to assume a position tilted towards the said spout by being turned about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of the track and situated at the same side as the hopper with respect to the axis of the track. The tipping action may be performed by any known devices, for example those employed for trucks arranged for lateral unloading.

The invention further relates to two devices for the application of the said method, and intended for application in the mining industry owing to the fact that they exploit the power which is available as a rule both below and above ground, being that of air compressed to a relatively low pressure.

Accordingly, the present invention equally relates to devices wherein the tipping action is performed by means of one or more pneumatic rams or jacks which may either be stationarily situated in front of the loading hopper, or mounted on each of the trucks to be loaded, and preferably by means of rams or jacks constituted by bellows adapted for inflation by means of compressed air.

The present invention will be described hereinafter in respect of two examples, given by way of example but by no manner of means of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 in partial section taken through a vertical plane at right angles to the track, correspondingly show a stationary tipping mechanism abreast of a hopper, with the truck in the running position in FIGURE 1 and in the loading position in FIGURE 2,

FIGURES 3 and 4 by the same method of illustration correspondingly show a truck equipped with a tipping mechanism solid therewith, with the truck in the running position in FIGURE 3 and in the loading position in FIGURE 4.

In the first example illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the numeral 1 marks the extremity of the stationary feed device for the material to be loaded, which device may be a spout or chute, a travelling belt or any other equivalent device, the material being intended to drop from the distal extremity of the loading nozzle into the body 2 of the truck from the said extremity by the action of gravity.

Although the truck illustrated in respect of this example already has its own tipping mechanism and may be tipped about the shaft 3 by the action of any appropriate hoisting device marked 4, the primary purpose of this example is to allow any truck to be tipped, irrespective of whether it is equipped with its own tipping mechanism or not, with the remark that the side-tipping trucks known at present are arranged for unloading purposes, that is to tip through a structurallypredetermined angle in order to ensure that the said material will slip, whereas this angle may not be appropriate for loading purpose, that is to solve a wholly different problem which is the object of the present invention and is affected by several other factors.

The tilting device according to the invention, marked 5 as a whole, is situated within a pit of suflicient size, abreast of the extremity of the feed device.

A tilting bridge 8 adapted to pivot about the shaft 9 which is fixedly mounted in the pit, rests on bellows 7 carried by a base 6 laid or installed in this pit.

A track section 10 is mounted on the bridge, with the customary guard rails. A pipe 11 is arranged to feed compressed air into the bellows the pressure of which being, for example, 6 kg./cm. or to release pressure from the latter. The control valve is not shown. It will generally be situated at a point from which the tipping action may be observed conveniently, in order to be able to vary the tipping angle, either to comply with local conditions, for example for adjustment to the position of the feed device extremity or to the loading gauge or to vary this angle during the loading operation.

A shock absorber 12 of any conventional telescopic type has been shown in FIGURE 1 by way of example; which has been replaced, in FIGURE 2, by an adjustable stroke limiter 13, which could if desirable be arranged to act as a so-called dashpot in the direction of return of the bridge into the position of FIGURE 1. Such a shock absorber is useful if very bulky pieces have to be loaded. In this case, the bellows take the shock and the dashpot reduces the speed of the return motion and prevents sizable oscillations.

It is clear that if the devices 12 and 13 were both provided in a tilting device, the partial sections of FIGURES 1 and 2 should be considered as having been taken through different vertical planes.

A safety device 14 has equally been illustrated, which is intended to prevent accidental tipping by the action of gravity. In this case, this device is formed by an angle iron solid with the bridge 8 and arranged to retain a stop 15 solid with the underframe of the truck.

In the case of the second example of application of the invention, shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, each truck has a tipping device mounted on its underframe. The truck is then of the lateral unloading type and the axis of rotation normally employed for the unloading operation is employed for the loading operation.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, the extremity 21 of the feeding device is shown positioned above the body 22 of the truck, when the latter is in the loading position.

The body 22 is arranged to tip about the axis 23, the bellows being marked 27 and mounted on a base or bracket 26 which latter is mounted on the underframe Q of the truck, this underframe being marked 37 as a whole.

The pipe 31 is arranged to feed compressed air into the bellows and is equipped with a connector 36 for connection to the compressed air line which is not illustrated, which line comprising a valve controlling the injection of compressed air into the bellows and its release from the latter. A shock absorber 32 represented in FIGURE 3 may in this case be situated between the body 22 and the underframe 37, and the stroke limiter 33 represented in FIGURE 4 may equally be situated between the said body and the said underframe.

The present invention is evidently not limited to the forms of embodiment described and illustrated by way of example but by no manner of means of limitation, and modifications of detail and/ or technically equivalent devices may be incorporated therein, without thereby exceeding the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An arrangement for loading rail trucks comprising:

(a) feeder means positioned laterally and disposed to be discharged laterally with respect to a track,

(b) a rail truck comprising a chassis and a body having sides and a floor constituting a receptacle adapted to be charged at the feeder side thereof,

(c) said body mounted on and over said chassis,

(d) means for inclining said body and holding said body when in its charging position, with said floor downwardly inclined toward said feeder means,

(e) said body being inclinable toward said feeder means by being turned about an axis which extends parallel to the direction of said track,

(g) said axis being situated on the same side as the said feeder means relative to the axis of the track,

(h) a shock absorbing means for reducing oscillations in said inclined portion of said truck as a result of loading.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a platform adapted to receive said rail truck,

(b) said platform being tiltable about a fixed longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said axis of said track, and situated between said track and said feeder means.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

(a) a ram adapted to tilt said platform about said longitudinal axis downwardly toward said feeder,

(b) whereby said angle of tilt is such as to elfect a substantially uniform spread of the load over said floor of said body.

4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a stroke limiting means to limit the degree of tilt of said body,

(b) said stroke limiter means being pivotally attached to said body and slidably attached to said chassis.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

(a) a base upon which said platform is mounted,

(b) a stroke limiting means,

(0) said stroke limiting means being operatively connected between said base and said platform.

6. A method for loading a truck having a truck body supported by an underframe from a hopper having a chute protruding above the truck and laterally with respect to the axis of said truck, comprising:

(a) bringing said truck into loading position abreast said chute of said hopper,

(b) tilting said truck body toward said chute on a horizontal axis of notation parallel to said axis of said truck, and gravitationally discharging material from said chute into said truck.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising:

(a) damping oscillations occurring upon loading said truck.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) tilting said truck body comprises tilting of said underframe.

9. An arrangement for loading rail trucks comprising:

(a) feeder means positioned laterally and disposed to be discharged laterally with respect to a track,

(b) a rail truck comprising a chassis and a body having sides and a floor constituting a receptacle adapted to be charged at the feeder side thereof,

(c) said body mounted on and over said chassis,

(d) means for inclining said body,

(e) means for holding at least said body, when in its charging position, with said floor downwardly inclined toward said feeder means,

(f) said body being inclinable toward said feeder means by being turned about an axis which extends parallel to the direction of said track,

(g) said axis being situated on the same side as the said feeder means relative to the axis of the track.

10. An arrangement as set forth in claim 9 further comprising:

(a) a platform adapted to receive said rail truck,

(b) said platform being tiltable about a fixed longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said axis of said track, and situated between said track axis and said feeder means, (c) a ram adapted to tilt said platform about said longitudinal axis downwardly toward said feeder, (d) whereby said angle of tilt is such as to effect a substantially uniform spread of the load over said floor of said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,402,466 1/1922 Whyte 2l4-52 2,775,355 12/1956 Leitner et al 2l4-38 3,126,840 3/1964 Anderson et al -273 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner. 

